HERE. - The Commemorative Air Force Dixie WIng

CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
GROUP PHOTO
NOVEMBER 11TH AT
1:00 PM
ATLANTA WARBIRD
WEEKEND REVIEW
AIRCRAFT
MAINTENANCE UPDATE
ISSUE #2
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
COL JAKE TRYON
THE DIXIE WING MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG - WWW.ATLANTAWARBIRDWEEKEND.COM- WWW.WWIIDAYS.ORG
In This Issue
• From The Wing Leader by Col Jim Buckley
• First Atlanta Warbird Weekend by Col Jay Bess
• Aircraft Maintanance Update by Col Elmer Koldoff
• Recruiting Update by Col Michael Zeeveld
• Dixie Wing Aircraft Schedule by Col Philip Beegle
• Member Spotlight: Col Jake Tryon By Steve Forsyth
• The Angels: Meet Libby Heath by Merikay Franklin
• Our Birds: North American P-51 Mustang By Col Willard Womack
• Rides Program: More than Just a Ride
!
!
Editor - Col Steve Forsyth
Design and Digital Distribution - Col Moreno “Mo” Aguiari
Issue # 2- Fall 2014
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
2014
!
Dixie Wing
Aircraft Schedule
The New Mission Briefing
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Facebook page now has over
14,000 followers,we have 2,300 people who requested to join our
newsletter and we are excited to have reached so many people
around the world, but we are often asked for detailed info about
the Dixie Wing's history and future.This issue marks the return of
the CAF Dixie Wing Mission Briefing after a two year hiatus.
The newsletter will allow us to share with the community in-depth
articles about ongoing projects, future plans and members.All CAF
chapters are organized around restoring and flying vintage
aircraft, but each unit has its own unique focus and character.
Together, the CAF chapters create the oldest and largest WWII
flying museum in the United States. In addition to maintaining
and flying an amazing fleet of aircraft, the CAF Dixie Wing actively
seeks to work with organizations and individuals who share a
passion for aviation and history.
Our vision for the Dixie Wing is to become a premier all-volunteer
flying museum, but also a resource for individuals and
organizations determined to preserve World War II and post-war
aircraft and their place in history. More importantly, our goal is to
memorialize at every opportunity the men and women who built,
maintained and flew these aircraft.
Mission Briefing is available to all warbird and history lovers and
will be published on a quarterly basis. From time to time, we will
also publish special editions to highlight key events and we
welcome suggestions for articles about aircraft or projects. Finally,
please feel free to share Mission Briefing with others.
• Nov 7 –
Cullman,ALVeterans Day
(P-51)
• Nov 8 –Monroe,
N.C.- Warbirds
Over Monroe (SBD)
• Nov 8– Ft. Meyers,
FL - Ride Day
( P-51)
• Nov 8 - Veterans
Day Open House
(Flyover)
• Nov 15 Staff
Elections
• Dec 14 – Christmas
Party
!
!
• *Availability subject
to change due to
weather and
operational issues.
Keep ‘em Flying
Col Chris Madrid
Col Moreno “Mo” Aguiari
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
From The Wing Leader
By Col Jim Buckley - I'd like to add another "A" to the Atlanta
Warbird Weekend Sept. 26-28: and that is AWESOME! Our
marketing team of Jay Bess and "Mo" Aguiari did an excellent job
of promoting a vanilla- variety rides day into a smashing event.
Even our visitors from HQ were impressed. Although
circumstances prevented us from doing a lot of the rides, the tally
was incredible. Thirty PT-26 rides, 11 Mustang rides, 4 SBD rides
and 11 LT-6 rides! The B-17 did great and it was a stellar day for the
PX.
!
We received many compliments on the venue, the dinner and panel
discussions at the 57th. All in attendance at our sold-out event were
pleased. We had an outstanding number of sponsors supporting
our cause. The total sponsor count was 11. That compares to two or
three for our WWII Heritage days. Planning for the second annual AWW is already in the
planning, starting with plans for more parking, as cars were parked as far out as Clairmont
Rd.
!
On a sadder note, a large group of well- wishers gathered on Saturday, Oct. 4, to bid a
bittersweet farewell to Jake and Ilona Tryon. Jake was one of the founding fathers of the
Dixie Wing and one of the last three remaining active original Cols. Jake was still giving
hangar tours on his last day here. They both will be missed for all the work and goodwill they
gave at the Wing. We all hope they will be happy at their new home at the Villages in central
Florida.
!
!
Col Jim Buckley
Dixie Wing Wing Leader
!
!
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!3
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
The First Atlanta Warbird Weekend
!
First Atlanta Warbird Weekend Gets High Marks.
By Col Jay Bess - Steve Brown, CEO/President of the CAF claimed Atlanta Warbird
Weekend and the Dinner with Eagles was a “First Class Event” and Dekalb-Peachtree Airport
Management gave the 1st Annual Dixie Wing event an “A”. The weekend of September 27th &
28th was packed with events and activities.
!
By the looks on the faces of our visitors, veterans and aircraft riders – we agree. In a little
over 90 days, Atlanta Warbird Weekend was pulled together in conjunction with CAF
Airbase Arizona’s B-17 “Sentimental Journey”, PDK Airport, Epps Aviation, Atlantic
Aviation, Chamblee Chamber of Commerce and the CAF Dixie Wing. Everything had to be
created and executed from scratch: a website, on-line rides purchase system, sponsorship,
exhibitors, veteran participation, posters, aircraft, signage, volunteers, logistics and MORE!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!4
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
As usual, the Dixie Wing Volunteers went above and beyond! While we know our way
around World War II Heritage Days and the Great Georgia Air Show – AWW was a 1st time
event AND it was an “away game”! At times it felt like we moved the entire Dixie Wing to
Dekalb-Peachtree Airport. This event brought every single talent the Dixie Wing has in its
arsenal: Mechanics, pilots, ground crew, Angels, marshalling, crowd control, showmanship,
sales, politics, public speaking, glider assembly, arm twisting, construction and a whole lot of
MANUAL LABOR!
The weather didn’t quite cooperate with us and Red Nose had another event to attend on
Saturday. Several aircraft such as the Military Aviation Museum’s Spitfire and Wes Stower’s
P-51 Mustang “Ain’t Misbehaven”, along with others weren’t able to attend due to the
weather. Considering Saturday’s attendance was three times what we had hoped for; the
poor weather might have been a good thing for our first year.
The financial results are still being compiled and will be shared at November’s Member
Meeting. We can enthusiastically say that the event surpassed our expectations. The
PT-19/26 would have been sold-out both days, our P-51 “Red Nose” was sold-out on Sunday,
Dinner with Eagles was sold-out, the PX completely sold-out, the local aviation and business
community embraced Atlanta Warbird Weekend and responded with invaluable
sponsorship, we recruited 7+ new Colonels during the weekend and we successfully held an
event in Atlanta! The support we received propelled attendance of this first time event and
equaled that of the perennial WWII Heritage Days
For more photos of the Atlanta Warbird Weekend , click HERE.
!
For the CNN video about click HERE.
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!5
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
Aircraft Maintanance Update
!
!
Aircraft Maintenance Is an Essential Element
!
By Col Elmer Koldoff - Aircraft Maintenance is up to their usual: lots of work. The L-16
Annual inspection has been completed and Col Truitt Harper can be proud of his crew as
everything was done in a timely manner. The Corsair Condition Inspection was completed by
Crew Chief Col Jim Buckley in time for a few shows before season end. This was the first
attempt for this inspection on the Corsair by the Dixie Wing personnel and Col Buckley and
crew came through as needed. And the LT-6 Annual Inspection will be started by Col Bob
Heath soon. This is the first go-around for Col Bob on this aircraft and he has been
reviewing our procedures and paperwork so he will be ready. !
This year it seemed like every time the P-51 came back from a tour, another inspection was
due. It was really putting on the hours. Col Webster needed some relief. I have elected to
up the interim inspections times another 10 hours, which will now be at 35 and 70 hours.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!6
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
These are done between the required 100 hour inspections, which will not and cannot be
changed. The 100 hour and Annual Inspections are mandated by the FAA, with no deviation.
!
I have taken Col Tony Stein off as Crew Chief on the Corsair and replaced him with Col
Jim Buckley. I felt Tony would be more advantageous to the Dixie Wing by not being tied
down to a single assignment and to act as a Technical Adviser to each and all of the Crew
Chiefs with pressing technical problems. Tony is not to relieve any Crew Chief of his duties,
only to provide assistance as needed. The intent of this endeavor is to assist in returning an
airplane to service in the safest manner and shortest period of time possible. This is
something new to the Dixie Wing. !
And now we have the P-63. The crew working this restoration has been doing a fantastic job
and it has come a long way. They are anxious to run it up and are deciding on a finished
paint job. It even has some fuel in the wing tanks. But now is the critical time for this
aircraft, and issues must be worked out and finalized. The grunt work is basically done, now
the technical stuff has to be addressed.
!
Certification:
1- The registration number assigned by the FAA is wrong and must be corrected.
2- The warranty I negotiated with the engine re builder is to start when the engine is run and
with the vendor present. 3- The certification process with the FAA rep could take six months or longer. If the engine
run-up is done before the aircraft is certified, the warranty period could be ticking away and
possibly expire before we could ever fly the aircraft.
4- Thinking about paint colors, etc., is great and a good plan, but nothing can be done until
the aircraft can be flown to a paint facility after the certification is finalized. !
This final process with certification is the most critical step in getting the aircraft in the air.
Not too many of us have the wherewithal to get this done. I have selected Col Jack Van
Ness to head up a team to prepare for this most critical step. He can call upon Cols Tony
Stein, Lee Weaver, Bob Bouthiller, Jim Arnold and Mike Rettke as necessary. Jack
and Tony did a fantastic job with the re-certification of our LT-6 and I feel there are no better
people to take on the P-63. Everything hinges on their success. !
!
Col Elmer Koldoff
Dixie Wing Maintanance Officer
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!7
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Recruiting Update
!
!
Figure 1 – Col Tryon presenting Col “Zee” with the CAF Recruiting Award for 2013
By Col Michael Zeeveld - Maybe a bit of nostalgia, but we are continually a changing
organization and pass the torch onto the next generation. This took place for the Recruiting
team last year when our CAF Hall of Famer and Dixie Wing member Jake Tryon stepped
down as the Recruiting Officer and became the Deputy Recruiting Officer, under the
guidance of the Col Michael “Zee” Zeeveld, who had been the Deputy Recruiting Officer for a
year prior to that. The roles reversed, and the student and master switched, passing the
perpetual torch onto the next generation. Jake has continued to be involved on an advisory
role, and you can always count on him to be there manning the recruiting tent, bubbly as
ever and looking for a lady to give a hug to. Jake, thanks for all your help through the years.
We enjoy your laughter, jokes and musical talents.
Numbers
To-date we have 21 new members in the Dixie Wing. We also had three existing Colonels
come to us from other wings. We depend so much on our members. Without them, there is
no Dixie Wing or CAF. They literally help “Keep em Flying”, whether it is running a drill,
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!8
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
CNC machine, sweeping floors, balancing the financial books, volunteering at an airshow, or
cleaning an aircraft. All of these tasks are important and help keep us going. A sincere thank
you and welcome all new members!
New Members Orientation
As a reminder, we will have a new membership meeting every “even” month of the year, on
the 3rd Saturday of the month, which is the same as the membership meeting, at 3pm or
following the regular membership meeting.
Recruiting applications
I went through and made the applications for Dixie Wing and CAF HQ more interactive.
They now can be filled out digitally and then printed. I also included a multi-application that
fills out the repeating data for you, to save time. Here is a link to direct prospective members
to access the applications: Click HERE.
Summary
In closing, 2014 so far has been a great year. Let’s work towards wrapping up an even better
year! There are a lot of wonderful events and air shows planned this year, which are great
opportunities to talk with people about the Dixie Wing, and share with them the great
warbirds we have the honor of taking care of! Keep em Flying! Col Zee
Col Michael “Zee” Zeeveld
[email protected]
704.221.7944 cell
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!9
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Member Spotlight: Col Jake Tryon
!
Jake Tryon – a Lifetime of Dedication
!
By Col Steve Forsyth-A long-nose Corsair sitting in Pennsylvania in 1984 lit a fire in Jake
Tryon that has never gone out.
!
Jake was instrumental in forming the Dixie Wing in 1987, and for that a huge number of
Wing members owe a debt of gratitude. But his story is one that goes on and on, and has
countless chapters in the history of the Wing!
!
As Jake tells it, he was working as a mechanic in Philadelphia after his tour of Air Force
Reserve duty, when a friend drove up and told him he had to come and see an airplane
across the field. Jake went with him, and when he saw that Corsair, he immediately
wondered how to get involved in that type of restoration and operation. He got a few
answers, and sent in his application for the Confederate Air Force.
!
Nothing was close by, but when
Jake moved to Georgia, he was
working with John Hill and Mike
Conley, who said an earlier
attempt to form a wing had not
been successful. “Why don’t we
try again,” Jake asked. It made
sense to him, given Atlanta’s
prominent position in the South
and the sea of aviation people in
Georgia, including Eastern and
Delta employees.
!
Together they gathered enough
Eastern and other aviation people
to form a Wing, and the
application was approved in
February 1987. Jake, who ultimately racked up 35 years of maintenance for Eastern Airlines
and Northwest Airlines, took on the role of maintenance officer.
!
The Wing’s first aircraft was a PT-26, for which Jake received a National Maintenance Award
and Individual Maintenance Award from the CAF. He said the plane had suffered a hard
landing and was sitting on an airfield in Ohio. They obtained a ferry permit for the PT-26
and got a pilot from the Missouri Wing to fly it to the South Fulton airport.
!
As they took the plane apart, they found extensive rot, damage and missing sections.
Ultimately it had to be re-skinned, and Jake said it took four years before the PT-26 was back
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 0
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
in the air. Much of the work was done in Col Bill Baldwin’s barn. Sadly, the plane crashed
several years ago, killing two pilots.
!
The next plane was the Twin Beech, which came from the The New Mexico Wing. Col Vick
Hughes suggested painting it in English camo representing the D-Day invasion, when the
British painted all of their aircraft bellies yellow to avoid being shot by their own forces. “I
was crew chief on that aircraft for 10 years, and I always said I put a gallon of blood in it,”
Jake said. “I was always getting cut on it.”
!
Then the SBD came along. Jake was Maintenance Officer at the time and was heavily
involved in the eight-year restoration of the aircraft that has become one of the most popular
for the Dixie Wing.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 1
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
!
ISSUE #2
Red Nose was the plane that started the
CAF. It had been a sponsored aircraft,
but the engine was ruined and the
plane sat for several years. As Wing
Leader, Jake gave the okay to Col
Philip Beegle to begin the process of
acquiring the P-51. Col Beegle amassed
pledges of more than $175,000, and a
group of Georgia Tech students – Jake
called them the “young guns” – came in
to help. They got hands-on experience,
and put together a prospectus to
acquire the plane. He said the CAF had
never seen anything like it.
Col Beegle also recruited CAF fighter check pilot, Col Stan Musik, who also is an A&P
mechanic. “It took seven trips to Texas to work on that airplane,” Jake said. “At times we
thought it would never leave Texas, but eight months later it flew!” Jake spent about two
weeks in Texas at that time, and he also helped on the B-29 when he was not working on Red
Nose.
!
The Dixie Wing went through a major, but tumultuous, transition when the new hangar was
constructed and operations moved to that location. Jake said the move resulted in quadruple
the work the Wing leadership had to do, but eventually the new hangar provided some
excellent opportunities. That was a tremendous workload for Jake, who had assumed the
Wing Leader position with the serious illness of the previous Wing Leader. Jake finished that
term and served two more as Wing Leader.
!
Prior to the move, another advancement was the creation of the Angel Squad. Jake said he
realized that many Wing members would decline opportunities to work or help out, most
often because wives had other commitments for them. The answer was to get the women
involved, and the Angel Squad was born. Originally the Angel Squad was open only to
women who were related to a colonel, but since that time the membership has opened up to
any interested woman.
!
The CAF faced a potentially disastrous obstacle when the FAA informed HQ that the CAF
might be grounded due to poor record-keeping. The civilian logbooks were not covering all of
the maintenance being done – the FAA also wanted all restoration paperwork. The U.S.
Army Helicopter Records Keeping System was adopted. It was a huge effort to transfer all of
the civilian logbooks to the new system and some of the data could not be retraced.
Eventually the system met with FAA approval, and today every logbook entry is copied to
CAF headquarters.
!
The first air show at Falcon Field started in 1998, and Jake began his long career of
recruiting. His record has grown to more than 200 CAF members. He said he always did it
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 2
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
because he liked it – “I liked talking to people and telling them what they could expect if they
joined.”
!
While recruiting is critical, retention also is a major objective, according to Jake. “We found
that the key was to get people to a new member meeting, and get them involved as soon as
possible.”
!
“One of the hardest transitions we had to make was the CAF name change,” Jake said.
Corporations were telling the CAF they could not contribute to an organization with the word
“confederate” in the title, but there was significant opposition to the change. The old name,
“Confederate Air Force,” had been around since the founders first painted it on “Red Nose”,
and there was a lot of sentiment and loyalty to that name. Jake said the change ultimately
was a good one, because “Commemorative Air Force” did not require a change in the
organization’s initials.
!
Over the years Jake has been Maintenance Officer, Recruiting Officer, Facility Rental Officer,
Executive Officer, & Wing Leader. He even wrote the checks for a while when there was a
lapse in Finance Officers.
!
Looking at the future of the Dixie Wing, Jake has two
wishes. “I always wanted another building out back that
would be great for the museum, paint booth and shops, or
get the building next to us – but that would be
significantly more costly. I’d also like to see a cadet
program return for the wing, because the one we had was
so successful until it was discontinued.”
!
Jake sums up the success and growth of the Dixie Wing in
one statement – “It’s basically a process of evolution. You
do what needs to be done, and elaborate to make it better
as you go along.”
!
Jake’s invaluable leadership is entwined with the history
of the Dixie Wing, and he will be missed as he moves to
the next step in his life at the Villages in Florida.
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
!
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 3
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
!
The Angels: Meet Libby Heath
!
By Merikay Franklin -Libby is one of the
newest additions to the Angel Squad. You
can identify her quickly by her wonderful
Scottish accent. Libby and Bob, her husband
of 27 years, live in Mallard’s Landing in
Locust Grove, Ga. They moved here from
Austin, Texas. While in Texas, Libby was
commissioned an Honorary Texan by Gov.
Rick Perry, in recognition of her volunteer
efforts in the State of Texas.
!
The amazing story of how Libby and Bob met
sounds like something out of a romance
novel. Libby was teaching RAF children in
Cyprus when Bob periodically came there on
a temporary duty assignment with a small,
covert USAF detachment.
“It was a
friendship that grew into more, under a
Mediterranean sky,” Libby fondly
remembers. Later, instead of heading to a
new teaching assignment in Hong Kong,
Libby moved to England to be near Bob’s new
base assignment there. After a three-year
tour in the UK, where they married, Bob and
Libby returned to the United States. When
Bob left the Air Force, he had flown U2s for 7
years, and was Chief of Standardization & Evaluation for the 17th Recon Wing. He then
started flying for Delta Air Lines. In total, Bob served 23 years with the USAF in active and
reserve duty.
!
The Heath Family includes two grown children – Robert and wife Lily, who live in San
Mateo, Calif., along with their new son (Libby and Bob’s first grandchild), Dexter, and
Megan, their daughter, in Sacramento, Calif.
!
Libby speaks fondly of her parents, who adored each other and their two daughters. Her
father had an ambition to fly, but never could because of his eyesight, although he was the
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 4
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
battalion crack-shot, before being captured at St. Valery. He survived five years as a POW
before being liberated by Americans. Libby fondly shares that her father lived long enough
to know both daughters would marry USAF pilots (both U.S. Air Force Academy grads).
!
Their Mallard’s Landing location is perfect for Libby and Bob, where they are involved in
their community, participate in Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta and enjoy entertaining
friends and family from all over the world. They love their church and happily volunteer a lot
of time there. Libby says she has come a long way from white-knuckle flying to helping plan
an upcoming three-week cross-country trip in their Diamond Star airplane. She has no
ambition to fly, but recognizes it might be a good idea to learn to land the plane… some day.
!
Both Libby and Bob love their relationship with the Dixie Wing. Bob feels a wonderful
connection with the T6 he’s privileged to work on because his Dad trained in a T6, served
during the Korean War, and retired as a full Colonel. Bob feels there are so many heroes at
the CAF – flying so many planes of significance, or maintaining them, in a past life.
!
As Libby says, “I love to spread my culture wherever I go. I’m never going to lose this accent!
I recite and mostly understand Burns poetry - we’re a dying breed. Bob plays the bagpipes at
our Scottish gatherings. Americans always proudly tell me of their origins. I’ve spent a
lifetime, never considering I was, or ever could be, anything but Scottish. Now I’m proud to
be an American Scot…or do I mean a Scottish American?”
!
Welcome to the Dixie Wing, Libby and Bob! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
To join the Angel Squad click HERE.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 5
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Our Birds: North American P-51 Mustang
P-51 Called “Most Aerodynamically Perfect Pursuit Plane”
!
By Col Willard Womack - The Army Air Corps first used the P-51 as a ground attack
aircraft named the A-36 Apache/Invader. Some sources called it an Apache, others an
Invader. These names were seldom used however, as “Mustang” was the reference in most
combat reports.
There were no funds available in 1942 for a new fighter, but there were funds for an attack
aircraft. Thus the P-51 became the A-36A, with dive brakes, bomb racks and completely
rebuilt, heavier wings. The bomb racks were located just outboard of the landing gear, and
each could carry up to a 500-pound bomb. The aircraft was then armed with two 50-caliber
machine guns in the nose and two in each wing, giving it the most firepower of any P-51 at
the time.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 6
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Normal attack procedures were to overfly the target, roll inverted, and when directly above
the target, pull into a vertical dive. The dive brakes had to be opened just before entering the
dive, or the high speed would cause them to open unevenly. This resulted in an unstable
dive, making aiming difficult. With all four dive brakes open, two on top and two on the
bottom of the wing, the speed would be held to 390 mph.
!
The A-36 entered combat in North Africa in April of 1943, serving throughout the
Mediterranean theater and Italy. It also served in the China Burma theater along with the
P-51A, which was an A-36 without the dive brakes and nose-mounted machine guns. It was
used by the First Air Commando Group with great success.
!
!
!
Despite having a reputation for reliability and performance, the loss rate was high due to its
mission of ground attack. Its Achilles heel was the cooling system, which could not withstand
battle damage. Everything from small arms fire on up could disable it. Along with its ground
attack mission, the A-36 did shoot down more than 80 enemy aircraft, and one pilot became
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 7
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
the only ace flying the Allison-powered Mustang.
!
Its role in the history of the war is often overlooked, due to the success of the Merlinpowered Mustang in air-to-air combat, and the ground attack abilities of the P-47.
Nonetheless, it served the USAAC well during its combat tour. Removed from combat by
mid-1944, it served until the end of the war in small numbers, often as a trainer for future
fighter pilots.
!
Fewer than 500 A-36As were built, and only 350 P-51As were ordered. By that time, both the
British and North American Aircraft were looking into mounting a Roll Royce Merlin in
place of the Allison. The British had realized that this was a good plane, and with the Merlin
engine it would be a great one.
!
!
The Allison V-1710 was a good engine, powering 60% of the fighters used by the United
States Army Air Corps (USAAC), during World War II. But it suffered with only a singlestage supercharger, which had been dictated by the USAAC during its early development.
The thinking was that if more supercharging were needed, a turbocharger would be used.
Turbochargers used power from the exhaust to spin the supercharger, therefore not robbing
the engine of any horsepower. Without the turbocharger, the Allison was condemned to life
below 20,000 feet.
!
The early Roll Royce Marlins also were built
with single-stage superchargers. Later
models came with two-stage, then twostage/two-speed units. The supercharger
shifted from low speed to high speed
automatically, at around 20,000 feet, and
shifted back to low speed below 19,000 feet.
The air war in Europe was being fought at
high altitudes, where the single-stage
superchargers were just not producing the
needed power. The British were quick to see
that the Mustang, as they had named it,
with its excellent maneuverability and speed,
would benefit greatly by replacing the Allison with a Merlin. After suggesting this to North
American Aviation, the British and North American each began work on the project.
The British were the first to fly a converted Mustang, and achieved the results they expected,
reaching speeds of 430 mph, close to 100 mph faster than the Allison-powered Mustang, at
30,000 feet.
North American took a bit longer, but they were reengineering the plane for its new engine.
The structure forward of the firewall was completely redesigned, with the air intake under
the spinner for the updraft carburetor. The cooling system was enlarged to accommodate the
extra heat from the Merlin, along with a new air scoop design, to make it more efficient.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 8
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
The cooling system itself was a masterpiece of aeronautical engineering. First, it was
mounted in the low drag area of the plane. The huge radiator, close to three feet wide and
three feet high, was mounted entirely within the fuselage. The opening for the air scoop was
mounted a few inches below the wing, out of the turbulent air of the boundary layer. The
inside of the scoop was just as smooth as the outside of the plane, to eliminate drag. The area
inside was much larger than its opening. The air expanded after entering, which caused it to
cool slightly and slow down. It heated up going through the hot radiator, which caused it to
expand even more. Air was then compressed to exit the small outlet. To do so, it had to speed
up. This high-speed hot air produced enough thrust so the entire cooling system was almost
zero drag. Some sources speculated that had more to do with the Mustang’s speed than its
laminar- flow wing did.
!
Armament still consisted of four 50-caliber, wing-mounted machine guns. These were
mounted at an odd angle, almost on their sides. This arrangement created some jamming
problems. A bomb rack under each wing could carry up to a 500-pound bomb, or a 75-gallon
drop tank.
Equipped with two 92-gallon wing tanks and the two 75-gallon drop tanks, (334 gallons) it
had a combat radius of 750 miles. Starting with P-51B-5-NA, an 85-gallon fuselage tank was
added, mounted under the radio rack, in front of the radiator. This increased the combat
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!1 9
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
radius to almost 900 miles. The drop tanks created a large amount of drag along with the
weight, so half of the fuel would be burned just to carry it.
The fuselage tank moved the center of gravity aft to such an extent that pilots had to restrict
some maneuvering until most of it was burned off. Pilots would burn fuel from the fuselage
tank first, a little over an hour’s worth, and then from the drop tanks. If forced to engage the
enemy, the drop tanks were jettisoned, no matter what their fuel state.
There was also a “C” model, identical to the “B”, but built in Dallas, Texas. The first “B” and
“C” models began to arrive in England in December of 1943, where they quickly replaced the
P-38s and P-47s. Only one Eighth Air force fighter group retained their P-47s. By early in
1944, P-51s were escorting bombers all the way to Berlin and back.
!
The one real complaint about the aircraft was poor visibility. The metal framing of the
canopy, along with the aft fuselage, restricted visibility. The British had developed a clear,
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 0
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
blown canopy for their Spitfire. Known as the Malcolm Hood, some of these were fitted to
P-51s in the field. They were much better, also giving a taller pilot a little more head room.
(The cockpit was designed for a 140-pound pilot only 5 feet, 7 inches tall).
North American was aware of this problem, and they were working on it. This new model
that would come to define the Mustang as the best American fighter plane in WW II was the
P-51D.
P-51D
!
If nothing else, the “D” model took the Mustang from the birdcage canopy look of the 1930s
to the modern day look of the bubble canopy fighter jet. Along the way, it became the best Air
Force fighter of World War II. Able to fight above 20,000 feet, and with the range to escort
bombers to Berlin and back, it helped to take control of the air war in Europe and make
possible the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.
The cockpit of the Mustang was small, as were most cockpits of fighters with slim, liquidcooled engines. The new bubble canopy gave the taller pilots a few more inches of head
room. Along with the clear view bubble canopy, there was a new windshield, both much
improved over the older style.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 1
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
The wing was again redesigned, making it a bit thicker. This allowed the 50-caliber machine
guns to be mounted upright, helping to reduce the jamming problem of the “B” model. That,
and the slightly higher canopy, did slow it down two or three miles per hour.
One machine gun was added to each wing, making a
total of six. However, the original two ammunition bays
were retained. The forward bay was divided in half. The
half nearest the guns fed the first gun. The other half
fed over the top of that belt to feed the second gun. The
aft bay fed the third gun all by itself. This worked out to
270 rounds each for two guns and 400 rounds for the
third. The cockpit was not equipped with an
ammunition counter. When four of the guns quit firing,
that was the warning the ammunition was getting low.
There was no system to recharge a gun if it failed to fire.
Without the recoil, or a charging system to reload a gun,
it was dead.
If the pilot desired, one gun in each wing could be
removed. There was a slight decrease in the amount of
ammunition carried, but with only four guns firing, the
firing time remained about the same. There also was a
slight weight reduction, which was always welcomed.
One ace who preferred this arrangement said, “if I can’t shoot them down with four guns,
adding two more won’t make my aim any better”.
The bomb racks could now carry up to a 1,000- pound bomb or the long, cigar-shaped drop
tanks, capable of carrying 110 gallons each. The tanks were made of glue-impregnated paper.
Once filled, they were good for about eight hours. They were not designed to withstand a
landing while carrying fuel. If a landing suddenly became necessary, the tanks had to be
dropped.
Building a high-speed fighter with the range of a bomber was thought to be an engineering
impossibility. In fact, the fighters of that time were primarily a defensive weapon, built to
intercept bombers and control the air over their homeland. The philosophy at the time was
that the bombers could always get through. This was true, but without fighter escort, they
could not survive. One prime example was the BF 109, which, during the battle of Britain,
had only enough fuel to fight over England a few minutes before returning to France. Many
of these were lost, running out of fuel on their return flights over the English Channel. .
Drop tanks became widely used in the Eighth Air Force in late 1943 with the introduction of
the P-51, the first true long-range fighter. It had not been designed with this in mind, but the
P-51’s streamlined, low-drag airframe, along with the drop tanks, helped it fill that role.
The designer, Edgar Schmued, kept in mind that the aircraft must be easy to maintain in the
field. All of the engine compartment covers were secured by Duzs fasteners, and could be
removed with a Duzs tool in a matter of minutes. The machine gun and ammunition bays
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 2
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
could be opened and ready for reloading or maintenance in less than one minute. The
elevator trim tabs could be replaced by removing one small bolt connecting the push rod to
the tab, and then three screws. The elevators, ailerons, rudder, and flaps were all easily
removed and replaced, without having to disconnect and reconnect the control cables. All of
this was designed so that a battle-damaged plane could be repaired quickly.
The president of North American Aviation, Dutch Kindeberger, had visited some of the
German aircraft factories prior to the war. That, along with studying production lines at auto
factories, helped NAA lay out an automobile -style production line. The Mustang was built in
five sections, each finished and ready to be assembled: two wing panels, the nose section, the
main fuselage, and a tail section. With this program, North American was capable of turning
out 875 Mustangs a month.
More than 15,000 were built, of which more than half (8,000 plus) were “D” models,
including 200 built in Australia. There were a few other models. One, the “H” model, was a
lightweight version with a top speed of 487 mph. Only five hundred were built, and the war
was over before the “H” was introduced.
In 1944, the Truman Senate War Investigating Committee, with future President Harry
Truman as chairman, called the Mustang “The most aerodynamically perfect pursuit plane in
existence”. Thousands of pilots likely would have agreed with them.
!
Guide to Dixie Wing CAF P-51Markings
For the first two years of World War II, each European group, and the squadrons in the
group, somewhat picked their own colors. In some cases, each squadron had their colors. (Each group occupied one airfield and had three squadrons, with a total of around 60 planes)
In 1944, the Eighth Air Force gave each group a color. For our P-51, it was "Red" for the
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 3
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Fourth Fighter Group. This was to be painted on the nose however they wanted to use it.
There also were blue, yellow, black- and-yellow check, and red-and-yellow check, to name
just a few.
The Red nose on our Mustang was the 1945 paint scheme. The 1944 version just covered the
spinner and the front of the nose, with a black stripe on the rudder.
Each Squadron had two letters, or a letter and a number, as the Squadron call letters. In our
case it is "QP" for the 334th Squadron, and they painted their rudders red. The 335th's call
letters were "WD”, with white rudders. The 336th"s call letters were "VF" with blue rudders.
You will see pictures of our plane with the call letters "VF" and the rudder painted red, white
and blue. It was painted this way to honor all three squadrons. It was then painted red, but
still with the VF call letters. When it was repainted two years ago, the "QP" was applied to
match the red rudder.
The "G" is the name of this plane. Only one plane at a time in a squadron would have this or
any letter. If this plane failed to return, another plane would be given "G." On an internet site
I found that there were at least three planes with "G" over a period of time in the 334th.
The black-and-white stripes were put on for identification
during the invasion of Normandy. All Navy and Army
personnel were told not to shoot at planes with blackand- white stripes. The night before the invasion, all
British and American aviation units were told to paint the
stripes on. It was done quickly, and not very neatly. By
July of 1944, the stripes were being removed, and were
gone by the end of 1944. So our stripes are on a plane
with a 1945 red nose, although by that time there were no
black-and-white invasion stripes.
!
The star with the blue band around the white wings and
the blue circle with a white star in it became standard in
September 1942, and were used until after the war, when
a red stripe was added to the white wings. There had been
five different versions prior to September 1942.
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
!
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 4
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Rides Program: More Than Just a Ride
!
By Col Jay Bess -When the CAF Dixie Wing travels to air shows, rides events and
celebrations, our dedicated group of volunteers – mechanics, ground crew, pilots, ride sales
and more – are lucky to hear some of the greatest stories of “why” someone wants to fly in
our P-51 Mustang, SBD Dauntless or LT-6. Sometimes it’s a “bucket list” item after a long
career of flying airliners, a log book entry for future bragging rights, a childhood dream or
someone who last sat in one of these historic aircraft 70 years ago, when they were a young
man or woman and called to duty for their country. It’s the reason we volunteer. We just
returned from a long week at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh and here’s an e-mail we received
from Jon Piette:
!
“Good morning Jay,
!
I wanted to say thank you again for helping me fulfill a dream I have had for several years
and scratching the number one thing off my bucket list, a ride in a P-51 Mustang.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 5
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
I wanted to recap my story for you. My Dad flew B-25’s, B-17’s and B-29’s. He was the
youngest commissioned B-29 pilot at age 19. Prior to being sent overseas he was pulled from
his crew and kept state side to test and train pilots. After he passed away five years ago, we
started going through his military history and flight logs. At that time we found a notation in
his flight log referencing Very Heavy Bomber. Through some research we discovered this
meant he flew the Silverplate B-29 which was built in very limited numbers for the sole
purpose of dropping the atomic bomb. His flight records show he was at Kirkland AFB at the
time the Silverplates were there and his transfer papers to Albuquerque, NM were at the
same time the Silverplates headed there for bomb testing. His flight logs show he flew a
B-29 from Albuquerque to Cuba to Minneapolis back to Albuquerque which is about the
distance the Enola Gay flew on her mission. He didn’t talk much about what he did but he
did tell me as a kid about that flight. His flight log also shows he flew a 12 hour mission on
the same day the Enola Gay made her flight.
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 6
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
We discovered he took a lot of things with him when he passed away five years ago. As we
were going through pictures for a memory board I came across a picture of a B-25. On the
back of that picture it reads “Best ship out wish I were flying them yet”. As a kid, listening to
my Dad talk and then attending the EAA, I fell in love with the P-51 Mustang so it came to
me as a big surprise when I found a picture of my Dad standing by a P-51 and the caption on
the back reads “The ship I’d like to fly”. He never talked about wanting to fly anything but
his bombers and was very proud that he got to fly the three he did. He logged most of his
hours in the B-17.
!
I have been talking about getting a ride in a P-51 since I was 12 and after Dad passed away
and I found that picture, I put it as number one thing on my bucket list. Every year for the
past five years I have said I will get a ride next year and next year always comes and goes. Well, as you know, this year was the year and what a ride it was! Capt. Alan “Big Al”
Armstrong was fantastic and gave me (and my Dad in spirit) a great ride. It was a
spontaneous decision that I made on Friday and that made the experience all the better.
!
I have included the pictures I mentioned above and I have attached a picture of me and “Big
Al” after our flight.
!
Thank you again for the great flight and for fulfilling my dream of riding in a P-51. Also,
thank you to all the folks that work on restoring and keeping the pieces of history in the air
for us to enjoy.”
Veteran Reunites With SBD After 72 Years
By Col Dick Hyde - In May 2014, 92-year-old
U.S. Marine veteran Tom Mohan re-visited his
WWII aircraft at the Spirit of St. Louis Airshow,
which was filmed in conjunction with HEC-TV
and Steve Schulte Photography. The Dixie Wing’s
SBD Dauntless was there, and Tom sat in the back
seat for a 30- minute flight. The event marked
Mohan’s first return to the aircraft in nearly 72
years. He flew the SBD on numerous missions in
the Battle of Guadalcanal. Organized by the
Missouri Aviation Historical Society (MOAVHIST), the story was watched nationwide and
raised awareness of our remaining World War II veterans. St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
included the episode of ‘Impact,’ which featured Tom Mohan’s Honor Flight and was
screened in the ‘Best Documentary-Short’ category.
CAF members Dick Hyde and Charles Kennedy presented Tom with a plaque at the
September MOAVHIST meeting to commemorate his service to the United States during
World War II, and his flight time with the SBD Dauntless. After a brief display in St. Louis,
the plaque will be returned to Georgia and applied to the Dauntless aircraft as a celebration
of his brave service.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 7
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Dixie Wing Contributes To Success of GGAS
By Jay Bess - The CAF Dixie Wing can add another successful Great Georgia Air Show to
its list of 2014 accomplishments. Since this event was only two weeks after the Atlanta
Warbird Weekend, our volunteers had their hands full bringing everything back from
Peachtree-DeKalb Airport to set up for a full air show at Falcon Field.
!
Dixie Wing member and GGAS Air Show Director Angie Faulise announced that the event
went logistically smoothly and sponsors were pleased, which all bodes well for the Blue
Angels in 2015! The first meeting for the 2015 event is already planned and there will be a
lot to do to accommodate the famed military aerobatics team, along with the HUGE crowds
that come with them. There was even a celebrity sighting when actor Michael Douglas
visited during the air show in one of the chalets.
!
Some of the highlights of the show were the “Pink” Delta fly-by, the excellent Friday night air
show, the Great Wall of Fire, the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, Julie Clark, the Tiger Team and
the amazing fireworks display on Friday night.
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 8
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
Superb aerobatic performances by our CAF Dixie Wing P-51 Mustang and FG-1 Corsair were
greeted with excitement by the GGAS crowds. Although there were limited opportunities to
fly rides, we did well with the PT and LT-6. The PX had to scramble to stock up after selling
out at Atlanta Warbird Weekend, but turned in a solid performance and kept the dog-tag
machine humming along. Recruiting did well again and staffed the recruiting tent with new
Colonels who had just joined at AWW. What a great way to jump in, get involved and join
the ranks of the hardest working volunteers in the CAF – the Dixie Wing.
!
Looking forward to 2015 and the Blue Angels!
!
Images by Chris Buff
!
For more photos of the airshow, click HERE
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!2 9
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
CAF Dixie Wing 2014 Group Photo
!
!
!
CAF Dixie Wing 2014 Group Photo
!
Right after the November Member Meeting on 11/15, we will have our 2014 Dixie Wing
“Group Picture”. Wear your blue CAF uniform shirt, comb your hair and say cheese for the
camera!
!
1:00pm following the members meeting.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!3 0
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
Veterans’ Day Observance Nov. 8 at Dixie
Wing and Peach State Airport
The Dixie Wing will host the official 2014 Veterans’ Day observance for Fayette County,
Georgia on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Atlanta Regional Airport (Falcon Field). Emphasis this year
will be on Middle East war veterans. Peachtree City Mayor Vanessa Fleisch and a military
veteran guest speaker will participate in the program, which will be highlighted by a Dixie
Wing aircraft flyover.
The Civil Air Patrol Unit 116 Color Guard will conduct the flag ceremony, supported by
American Legion Posts 50 and 105. The Wing also will provide a flyover for ceremonies at
Peach State airport in Williamson, Ga., beginning at 2 p.m. Dixie Wing gates will open at 9
a.m., with a speaker program at 11 a.m. The Wing also will be selling rides on its unique
PT-19 and L-16 vintage aircraft at Falcon Field and Peach State airport.
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!3 1
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
!
Dates to Remember
!
- Veterans Day Open House Nov 8, 2014
- WWII Heritage Days - April 18-19, 2015 - RIDES AVAILABLE
- Meet the Veterans - May 30 2015
- Atlanta History Center - May 30, 3015
- Senoia Memorial Day Celebration - May 31, 2015
- July 4 Parades - Peachtree City & Marietta
- Atlanta Warbird Weekend - Sept
- Great Georgia Airshow - Oct 11-12, 2015
- Veterans Day Open House - Nov 7, 2015
!
Monthly Member Meetings
- Monthly Membership Meeting & Staff Elections - Nov 15, 2014
- Wing Christmas Party - Dec 14
2015
- Monthly Membership Meeting - January 17
- Monthly Membership Meeting - Feb 21
- Monthly Membership Meeting - March 21
!
!
!
!
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!3 2
CAF DIXIE WING
THE MISSION BRIEFING
ISSUE #2
On The Web
!
Dixie Wing Website: www.dixiewing.org
Atlanta Warbird Weekend Website: www.atlantawarbirdweekend.com
WWII Heritage Days Website: www.wwiidays.org
Dixie Wing on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAFDixieWing
Previous Issues
!
The Dixie Wing Mission Briefing - Summer 2014 - Click HERE.
^^^^^^
To join the Commemorative Air Force click HERE.
!
Address & Phone Information
Dixie Wing, CAF - 1200 Echo Ct. - Peachtree City, GA 30269
Main Phone: (678) 364-1110
Hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 9am - 4pm
THE MISSION BRIEFING
WWW.DIXIEWING.ORG
!3 3